As a local theatre critic every so often I get presented with the question ‘is it fair to critique community theatre?’ The question is a fair one and something I’ve grappled with myself. I like to look at myself as celebrating community theatre but also providing some useful feedback that will help companies improve. It’s particularly tough on nights like I had this Monday watching a local production of Annie. Objectively speaking little seemed to go the company’s way and yet their persistence and the optimism of the piece left me with a big smile on my face (as Annie should do!) and I’d still recommend seeing it flaws and all.

This production of Annie is a combined project by Sandbox Theatre Company and Wasatch Theatre Company and was put on at the Regent’s Black Box at Eccles in Salt Lake. Being in a black box this is a much more scaled down version of Annie than I just saw in Ogden but both versions have their charm. This has a huge cast with 18 orphans who are all very cute with some of them showing off their acrobatic skills in the numbers.

Bentley Nuila plays Annie and she is terrific in the role, very expressive and animated. They do go with the subtle red hair route but it’s cute, and she has excellent chemistry with Jake Hendriksen who is a warm and endearing Daddy Warbucks. Bren Tew is lovely as Grace Ferrell and Wendy Richhart makes for a very boozy Miss Hannigan (she had to improv for several minutes with the girls when another adult was late on stage and it was a hoot to watch.)

It’s just a shame that there were so many technical hiccups. The microphones were a total mess. In fact, when they would stop working I wondered if it would be better just to have the actors shout their lines given it is a small black box? There were also problems with lighting and the transitions took a long time (we were there almost 3 hours which is a lot for Annie.) They also had sets fall apart and people missing their cues. It was just one of those nights!

Still, they kept plugging away and concluded by inviting us as audience members to sing ‘Tomorrow’ with them, and I was quite moved by the experience. At the end of the day, they had all done their best and isn’t that what community theatre is all about? This Annie is directed by Karyn Tucker and is playing through August 16th. One can purchase tickets here.

Annie has music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Chamin and a book by Thomas Meehan based on the comic and radio program by Harold Gray.

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